June 13, Monday evening -- St. Martin Vesubie, France -- Reading Mr. Blague (Mr. Joke)

In the town of St. Martin Vesubie, where the grocery and the post office were closed, on Monday, in celebration of the religious holiday Pentecost.

Sitting on the steps across the road from his house and reading Mister Blague (Mr. Joke).

Q: How do you spot a Belgian at the airport?
A: He's the one throwing bread to the airplanes.

Q: How come the Belgians have fries and the Emirates have petrol?
A: Because on the day of creation of the world, the Belgians got to pick first.

The trough he has his feet crossed over is the town river, which has been channeled to run from the top of the town through the bottom. In the center of town three little boys deposited little boats into the irrigation channel and let them run down to the bottom. These same boys were angelically reading in the town bookshop earlier in the day....but their mother wouldn't let me photograph them for the Internet. I was surprised at how finicky the French were about appearing on the internet. I was turned down at least five times on my trip, more so than here in San Francisco.